Ann French, age 15, of Hodgenville, Ky., for her question:
HOW DID DENTISTRY ORIGINATE?
When you visit the dentist today, you can expect him to examine, diagnose and provide both treatments and information on prevention of mouth diseases. A dentist may fill cavities, remove the nerves of teeth, treat diseases of the gums, remove teeth, straighten crooked teeth and replace lost teeth with bridges or dental plates.
Dentistry is the art and science of treating diseases of the teeth and other parts of the mouth. Dentists help to keep people healthy in many ways. They correct deformities of the teeth and mouth, prescribe medicines and even perform operations on the mouth and jaws.
One of today's major dental tasks, and perhaps the most important, is preventive dentistry. If a dentist examines your teeth at regular intervals, he may find and treat a disease before it becomes serious. A part of the dentist's preventative work is teaching his patients proper methods of brushing and flossing the teeth and even advising what foods to eat or avoid for good dental health. And often he treats teeth with fluorides or other substances which help prevent decay.
Ancient Greek texts written about 500 B.C. make references to teething difficulties and 'pincers for pulling out teeth.'' Gold dental bridges, however, are older than the Greek manuscripts and have been traced to the ancient Etruscan civilization in Italy.
Dentistry actually developed very slowly. During the Middle Ages barbers served also as doctors and dentists. Dentures were made by jewelers or other craftsmen.
It was not until 1840 that dentistry actually became a profession. That year the world's first dental school was organized in Baltimore, Md.
Important dental progress has been made in the United States and Canada since 1840. About then the first native born American dentist began practicing in Boston. He was the first to use gold foil in filling teeth. Discovery of the X ray in 1893, provided the dentist with a way of looking inside a tooth to discover possible defects.
Discovery of anesthesia was another important step in the history of dentistry.
Quieter and faster drilling equipment was developed in the 1950s. The drills worked at such high speeds that they reduced pain caused by heat and pressure.
The field of dentistry expands constantly as our population grows. Today there are about 122,000 dentists in the United States. About 101,000 are engaged in active practice while the others work in research, dental public health or dental education.
In Canada there are about 7,400 dentists. As is the case in the United States, all must meet extremely high personal and professional qualifications before being able to practice dentistry.